Final Thoughts
by marinefan123
Summary: A series of oneshots about several Inheritance characters reflecting back on their lives right before they die.
1. Morzan

** This is just a little something I've been wanting to do for a while. This actually takes place in the same continuity as the other story I'm working on called "A Second Chance". I'm working on the next chapter for that story too, by the way. It's just coming along real slow. **

Chapter 1.

Morzan's POV.

I feel the sharp burning pain as my own sword pierces my body. The man now wielding Zar'roc is someone whom I believed to be dead until he confronted me a few minutes ago.

An involuntary cry escapes my lips as Brom pushes the blade all the trough my body. I look into the eyes of the man who has just taken my life away from me and I see pain, sadness, anger, and a myriad of other emotions.

I gasp for air and my legs give out beneath me. How could I have been so foolish? I don't want to admit it but I know I underestimated him. He wasn't such a fool after all. In my youth, I looked down upon Brom. I exploited him and used him for my own purposes and yet he always stayed by my side.

I feel the cold embrace of death taking hold of me and I know my time is growing short.

Brom glares down at me. There is no joy on his face. His emotional pain looks every bit as great as my physical pain. As I lay helpless on the ground, Brom grabs Zar'roc and wrenches the sword from my chest, sending another wave of agony through my body.

"That was for Saphira!" he scowls.

Saphira… or "Saphi" as I used to call her. She always hated that name, which is why I used it. That nosy, self-righteous dragon was always getting on my nerves. Every time I wanted to have a little bit of fun and bring Brom along, she was always the one who would criticize me for it. When I tried to get Brom to join the Forsworn, Saphira was the one who convinced him against it. She made me very angry. I suppose that was why I singled her out and killed her later on. However, when I think back on all the many people I killed during my life, Saphira the only one I ever deeply regretted killing. True, she was a thorn in my side but honestly, I kinda liked it. It was like a game we played. I'll admit that she was the smartest of our little group. In some ways I actually envied her. As annoying as she was, there was no denying that Saphira was very intelligent. She was smarter than my dragon, that's for sure. Great, I'll probably be meeting her in just a few moments. I'll bet she'll be none too happy to see me though after what I did to her too.

My thoughts drift to Selena. I don't know what happened to her but I suspect Brom had something to do with her disappearance. This was confirmed when I saw that look of genuine shock on his face when I asked. Apparently my Black Hand has betrayed me, not that it matters now.

I loved Selena. At first I just used her because she was a great spellcaster but as time went by, I grew close to her. And then she betrayed me… But I'm no stranger to betrayal now am i?

Oh listen to me rambling on. I've been such a fool! The only time in my life when I was truly happy was when I was a Rider. I never should have let Galbatorix talk me into joining him! I was always attracted to power though and he promised me power beyond my wildest dreams. What a joke! Joining the Forsworn cost my dragon his sanity ad his identity. Watching the partner of my mind and heard sink reduced to nothing but an animal was devastating. His misery is over though. Mine will be soon, hopefully. I can only hope my son does not make the same mistakes I made in my life. Maybe he will turn out to be a better man than me.

I feel my heart flutter and give out and then darkness closes in around me. Perhaps now I can find peace. Goodbye, Brom. You were a better man than me after all…


	2. Saphira I

Chapter 2.

Saphira I's POV

I lay on the ground, gasping for air and bleeding from the fatal wound on my chest that was inflicted by the traitor Morzan. The pain is agonizing and I struggle for each breath, though I know my efforts are futile. Brom, my beloved Rider, kneels by my side, embracing me. He assures me that I am going to be alright but I think we both know that is not true. The wound goes straight through my heart and now I know I will die. I was such a fool. I was so fixated on stopping the traitor that I forgot the most basic rules of combat and left myself vulnerable. This is all my fault, and now my dear Brom will suffer for my mistake.

I try to comfort Brom but nothing I say will soften the blow that my death will have upon him. I provide words of encouragement, urging him to not give up. As long as Brom survives and makes a difference, my passing will not be in vain. Honestly I don't even know if he will live through this though. The bond we share is so strong that one of us dying is libel to result in the death of the other as well. Nevertheless, I encourage Brom to continue fighting. Maybe someday he will make the traitorous Forsworn pay for their crimes. I can only hope.

I feel death creeping ever close. The life is draining quickly from my body, but the agony of my injuries is still just as strong as ever. It is a great effort just to breath now. I think of all the loved ones I will leave behind. Glaedr, Oromis, my mother… I can't believe I let this happen. After everything Glaedr taught me, I still let my guard down, and it has cost me dearly.

Now I feel the partner of my mind and heart wrapping his arms around my neck, sobbing and begging me not to leave him. And then I feel my own tears swelling in my eyes. I cry not only because of the pain and suffering my loved ones will endure because of this, but I cry for myself as well. I would be a liar if I said I wasn't afraid to die. Terrified would be the more appropriate word to describe it. I do not want to die for I am still young and have my whole life ahead of me! Eventually I was going to take a student of my own under my wing, passing on what my teachers had taught me to a new generation. I had dreamed of becoming a mother and raising a family. That will never happen now. I can't let Brom see my fear though. He is depending on me to always be strong no matter what! I have always been brave for him before and I cannot stop here!

I briefly think of my mother, a beautiful dragon named Erenthus. She already lost her mate before I ever hatched and now she is going to lose her only offspring as well. And Glaedr… what will he think? He raised me like a father and taught me the ways of the Dragon Riders. I can't help but feel that I've let everyone down. I know that death is upon me and my vision begins to fade and I feel my heart stopping. With my last breath, I say my final goodbyes to my Rider. Brom, Glaedr, Mother, I am so sorry. I have failed you all…


	3. Durza

Chapter 3:

Durza's POV

I gasp in disbelief as the little twerp stabs me through the heart with the red blade. No! This was not supposed to happen! How could I have been bested by a mere farmboy? I feel the energy leaving my body as the spirits that hold me together begin to break free. I glare at Eragon but I am unable to speak. All I can do is stare in utter disbelief. How can it end like this? I am Durza, the greatest Shade that ever lived! I have slain entire armies! I have ransacked entire cities! Everyone fears my name! But now… now this stupid, insipid farmboy has defeated me… It's all over for me now. But at least that brat didn't get out of this unscathed! That wound that I inflicted on his back will curse him and haunt him forever! Some day, Eragon, your time will come and I _SHALL_ be avenged! You may have won this battle but Galbatorix if more powerful than you can even begine to imagine! You will not stand a chance!

As I feel myself beginning to dissolve, all my life's memories flood into my mind at once. I remember as a wild how my family was exiled from our village and forced to live in the harsh desert. I remember returning to our camp one night and finding my family murdered by thieves. I did not know why they had targeted us. We had nothing of value. Perhaps they were after my food. The thieves beat me and left me to die. Somehow I lived through it and pressed on, wandering aimlessly for days until a man called Haeg found me and took me in. He taught me to use magic and to control spirits. I thought I might finally have a chance at happiness but the bandits, the same murderous vermin who killed my parents, ambushed us one night in our sleep. I managed to escape but Haeg was not so lucky. Having lost yet another person I love to those vermin, I decided to rid the world of them once and for all and summoned spirits to assist me. But the spirits proved to be too much and took me over and thus, Durza was born.

I had forgotten this part of my past, either because the spirits didn't want me to remember or perhaps because I didn't want to remember. As the years passed, I rampaged across the land doing as I pleased. One day I encountered a young man named Galbatorix. He was formerly a Dragon Rider, though he had lost his dragon on some little misadventure. He had a grudge against the Riders and wanted revenge. This boy was powerful and I was that he had the potential to be a great ally so I took him under my wing, teaching him all about Dark Magic. Our first victim was a foolish Rider and his dragon who were sent after me. Youngg Galbatorix took them by surprise and captured both of them with ease. We killed the dragon first, forcing the Rider to watch as Galbatorix beheaded the beast with his sword before finishing the Rider off as well. I never liked dragons. Pompous, arrogant beasts and so full of themselves… Their filthy kind deserved to be wiped out along with anyone who sympathized with them. I thoroughly enjoyed the role I played in the destruction of the Dragon Riders. Where were they when my family and friend were murdered? They only cared about their elves and their stupid dragons!

With the Riders destroyed, I was glad to served as Galbatorix's enforcer. There were always miscreants who needed to be shown their place. I liked the new king's way of thinking. He was brutal but efficient. The only rats we were never able to exterminate was the band of rebels called the Varden. I had come to this Dwarven hellhole to crush them once and for all and I brought as many expendable urgal troops with me as I could. For some reason Galbatorix wanted the farmboy and his dragon alive though. He told me that this dragon is the last female and she could be very useful to him. It is all over now though and the battle has ended in disaster for me. My whole life flashed before my eyes and now I feel the darkness consuming me. Damn you, Eragon, and your bitch of a dragon too! May your lives be filled with sorrow and woe!


	4. Erenthus

Ok, so this character isn't actually a canon character but I still thought I'd include it anyway.

Chapter 4

Erenthus's POV

I feel a terrible emptiness inside of me… I know that an attack by the Forsworn is imminent but it no longer matters to me. I came across Brom sitting alone outside the gates of Ilirea. At first I felt a great sense of relief. We had all heard about the massacre at Dorú Areaba. Upon seeing Brom, it looks as if my daughter and her rider had escaped the carnage, but when I confronted him and asked about Saphira, I saw the most painful look imaginable appear on his face. There was no need to say anything more. I understood and in that moment, I felt as if my heart had been torn out.

"Morzan…" Brom croaked, turning away from me.

There is nothing I can say to describe the horror and pain I felt in that moment. My daughter was dead… I turned away from Brom and returned to the city where my Rider, Darius was waiting for me. He tried to comfort me but there is nothing anyone can say to ease the pain I felt. Saphira may have been a grown dragon but she was still my baby and I loved her. I remember how devastated I was when my mate, Razinir, died. When Saphira hatched, I wanted to train her and Brom myself but it was forbidden by the Rider's law. Glaedr would be her teacher instead. We still saw each other and grew close to one another. I only had one egg so Saphira was my only offspring. She inherited her father's fighting spirit and could be extremely fierce if provoked, but Glaedr always told me that Saphira had my gentle demeanor. Saphira was so full of life and she had a bright future ahead of her. But not anymore. That was taken from her by that monster Morzan and I swear that he will pay!

Hours pass and finally the Forsworn make their move. I carry Darius into battle but I am unable to focus on the fighting. I fly low over the battlefield, unleashing jets of flame upon Galbatorix's soldiers. I want them all to burn! Darius shouts a warning to me but I don't hear it. All I can think of is making the Forsworn feel the pain and loss they've caused me. Something slammed into me and knocks me from the sky. When I strike the ground, it knocks the wind out of me and my rider is thrown from the saddle. A blood red dragon lands before me and Morzan climbs down from the saddle, sword in hand. And then I do what any mother who has just lost a child would do. I lunge for the man responsible, hellbent on utterly destroying him! Morzan's devilish beast attacks me but I am oblivious to the teeth and claws that tear into me. All I care about is avenging the death of my daughter. As I struggle against Morzan's dragon, Darius charges forward and challenges Morzan. They duel and I slowly continue crawling toward Morzan. My rage is unstoppable until Morzan finally bests Darius, killing him with a slash across the chest. My Rider falls and I feel yet another part of me being torn away.

Morzan's dragon rejoins his rider, leaving me bleeding and broken on the ground. In an instant, the fire that burned within me has been extinguished and replaced with a feeling on unbearable sorrow. I had failed. First Morzan has taken my daughter and now he has taken my dear rider as well. I feel responsible for both. Had I been paying attention this never would have happened but I was emotionally compromised. And now it is all over. Morzan approaches me and I dread what is coming next. I know that the Forsworn have been taking the eldunari of dragons that they kill. However, as Morzan stares at me, he pauses. I feel the fires of hatred flare up again.

**_Murderer!_** I roar to Morzan, unable to control myself. **_She was my baby… and you killed her._**

Finally I can't take it any longer. I feel the hot tears streaming down my face and I break down, letting out a cry of agony. Morzan continues to stare as if he is unsure what to make of the situation. If only I had any strength left, this would be my chance to tear him apart! Finally Morzan points his hand at me and I know he is about to take my Heart of Hearts. But instead, he simply mutters, "Give my regards to Saphi."

I am unsure what he means at first but before I have time to think about it, he mutters a spell. I recognize it as one of the death words…

Morzan's POV.

At first I was confused by this dragon's blind hatred for me. It took me a moment to recognize her but then I realize that this is Saphira's mother, Erenthus. She apparently knows of her daughter's fate and I can see the agony that shows in her eyes as she attempts to kill me. Even after I kill her rider, she still tries to reach me, screaming in my head about how I killed Saphira. It is a pathetic sight. She claws her way across the ground, the blood pouring from the many bites and claw marks my dragon has left on her. I'll admit that I never really had a conscience but for some reason I actually feel sympathy for this poor creature. I have just killed her rider and yet it is her daughter whom Erenthus cries for. For the first time since the battle at Dorú Areaba, I actually regret killing Saphira. For the first time in my life I actually see myself for the monster that I really am. I no longer see Erenthus as an enemy. Now I just see her as a grieving mother and I would never be able to live with myself if I took her Heart of Hearts and gave it to Galbatorix. Instead, I perform a rare act of mercy. I decide to end her suffering once and for all. I choose one of the twelve death words and cast the spell and her death is instantaneous. Now she can be with her daughter again. And yet as I gaze at the now lifeless dragon that lays before me, I still feel a terrible guilt. I realize that I was wrong to join the Forsworn, but it is too late to turn back now. I have innocent blood on my hands and it will haunt me for the rest of my days.


	5. Brom

Author's note: This is probably going to be the last chapter I do for this. Since Book 4 is coming out soon, I may add some more to this later but for now I'm wrapping this story up.

Chapter 5.

Brom's POV

I know that the end is near. Eragon has healed my wound but the seithr oil remains in my body. In my younger days I may have been able to survive it but now I am old and my body is weak. One part of me wants to die and the other tells me it is not yet my time. I have lived a long and fulfilling life, despite the numerous tragedies and hardships I have endured over the years. I slew the Forsworn and overcame hardships that most people never could. And yet my mission is still incomplete. Galbatorix still sits on the throne. I look at Eragon, my son. I have wanted to tell him the truth so many times, and now that I know my time is growing short, the desire to tell him the truth is stronger than ever. I just can't go through with it though. What would he think of me if he knew? Someday he will learn the truth but I just can't tell him yet. There are more important matters at hand. I see Murtagh sitting on a rock nearby. He looks so much like his father… I feel a pang of guilt in my heart when I see him sitting there. Murtagh had been just a boy when Selena died. After that, he ended up in the clutches of that vile bastard, Galbatorix. I could have taken the boy and raised him. I'm sure that is what Selena would have wanted. I was just so overwhelmed with grief at her passing though. I loved Selena. She was a kind and gentle soul though she had a bit of a fiery flare in her heart. She was a talented worrier and a force to be reckoned with. In fact she reminded me a lot of Saphira and I suppose that is why I fell in love with her. While nothing could ever fill that gaping hole in my heart that was left when I lost Saphira, Selena at least eased the pain. When she died, it was like losing my dragon all over again. All I had left after that was my lust for revenge against the empire. Discovering that I had a son was one of the things that kept me going after the death of Selena. I moved to Carvahall and settled down, keeping a watchful eye over Eragon as he grew up.

Presently my gaze shifts from Eragon to his dragon, who shares her name with my own. I can only hope that she has a brighter future than my poor Saphira. Saphira… the best friend I ever had. She's been gone for more than a century and yet I still mourn for her after all this time. The pain that I felt when she died was the worst feeling imaginable. I would not wish it upon my worst enemy, and in that respect, I can even say I pity Galbatorix. Saphira did not deserve to die like that. Though I eventually killed Morzan and avenged her death, I didn't feel any better afterwards. It didn't bring her back nor did it rid me of the unbearable emptiness I felt in my soul.

I feel another spasm of pain and know my time is growing short. Before I go, there is one last thing I need to tell my son. I wish I could tell him that I am his father but this is more important. And so I reveal my past as a Rider to him. I tell him of my Saphira and warn him to watch over his. I fear for Eragon's future and pray that he will somehow succeed. If he fails then everyone who has died in this war will have died in vain. It is unfair that my son must face the Empire at such a young age but at least he still has his dragon. Finally I know my time has some. My old body has given out and it is my time to die. Soon I will join my loved ones in the afterlife, if there is one. And now for the greatest adventure of all…


End file.
